SHAWN “JAY Z” CARTER VISITS HOSTOS TO TALK ABOUT STATE OF MUSIC INDUSTRY

As Hostos Community College’s Media Design Program continues to grow and attract more students, it received a huge boost when Shawn “Jay Z” Carter and Tidal executive, Vania Schlogel, visited the College on April 1, 2015, to discuss the state of the music industry and Carter’s new venture.

With less than one day to prepare for his visit, the free event was only open to Hostos students and employees. In less than six hours, the Main Theater was filled with an enthusiastic audience.

Carlos Velez is one Hostos student studying in the Media Design Program. Velez said the event was truly something special.

“This event changed my life, and it was only right that Jay Z came to Hostos,” Velez said. “We have such talented students and the South Bronx is also the birthplace of hip-hop.”

Introducing Carter was Hostos associate professor and coordinator of the Media Programs, Rees Shad. Shad also developed the curriculum for the media programs at Hostos and is currently the chair of the Humanities Department. Also an accomplished musician and music producer, Shad moderated the conversation as Carter and Schlogel answered questions from students.

Introducing the multiplatinum artists, with many of his Media Design students front and center, Shad said: “As many of you know, our mission is to change up the conversation about media in America, to start talking in a more diverse voice to the rest of the world. And you folks in our program here are part of that. We have a guest here this evening who has been changing the conversation for a long time about media and music.”

Throughout the evening, Hostos students provided Carter with questions. This event was also shared on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Periscope.

Armani Martinez is studying digital music at Hostos. He said the experience helped to motivate him to become more versed in the industry.

“Having Jay Z come to Hostos Community College was a great and motivating experience. The question and answer session was both exciting and informative, and it helped us learn about the streaming service and its relationship with artists,” Martinez said.

For photographs of this event, please click here for the Hostos Community College Facebook page.

About the Hostos Media Design Program
The media design programs at Hostos have been developed to encourage exploration of the media arts as a viable vocation.  This exploration encompasses an examination of contemporary design tools, contemporary techniques, iterative practices, and user centric approaches in order to develop students into design professionals if the fields of music production, game design, graphic design, and animation.  In addition, students investigate important historical and ethical issues in order to contextualize media development’s role in society.

An emphasis on communication is foundational here, with focus placed upon writing and presentation skills across the curriculum.  Ultimately students in the programs gain a wider awareness of vocational opportunities in fields related to media development in order to plot a trajectory for professional success. Most importantly students enrolled in the Hostos Media Design Programs receive thorough preparation for transfer into bachelors programs at all the leading art and design schools in America including those at the City & State Universities of New York.

-Via Hostos